Daughter of Darkness: Damned Return
by thetwins90
Summary: This saga tells story about Amanda, 19teen years old ordinary girl from small town, who one day finds out she's daughter of Darkness Being.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys. This saga tells story about Amanda, 19teen years old ordinary girl from small town, who one day finds out she's Daughter of Darkness. We're going to divide his storyline into 2 parts for now: **

**- Daughter of Darkness: Damned Return .**

**- Daughter of Darkness: Vampire Hunt. **

**DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS: DAMNED RETURN**

_Prologue_

_My first thought which came to my head, when __I had changed scenery of burned Dumb Forest`s spruces to my new, glittering desk, I was sitting by was… that old woman gone mad. It was the only way I could explain to myself this nonsense that madwoman was trying to make me believe. How I suppose to believe that I`m a Daughter of Darkness? No, it didn't exist in my radically rational world I had created. My mind couldn`t understand it. _

_There's not such thing as Word of Darkness. There's nothing what could overstep what is logical and empirical, what is well-known and what can't be explain. Nothing what overstepped my imagination. Lame, I guess. It maybe because I've always been realist. Thought that simultaneously with human world could __exist another one, The Second World, really scared me._

_I__ couldn`t do anything about it and finally I gave up. And even I wanted so much not to believe in it, I felt the truth was so close. Wave of doubts got me and I couldn`t escape. I felt every sense of my body that uncertainty was raising in me. Asleep uncertainty I haven't remembered for long time. _

_Firstable I felt thanks my every sense that this old lady, who was standing in front of my face in her black ankle-length dress didn't behave like a harmless madwoman she was a two seconds ago. Sorrowfully I figured out her sentences were rational and her eyes didn't be so wild with blank expression as they seemed. This eyes were sharp and keen so I was shivering. She was pressing her lips in narrow line when she was looking at me. It was like someone just for a second took away her insanity, took her far far away from this world in which this woman has been living for years to runaway from cruel reality and put into her body. Someone, who was speaking her voice, looking her eyes, because wanted to use her as own messenger and then brought her back to her mad world. _

_Second, the most important thing, __ I notice that Mary Sue was right. No, no when she was… herself. I wasn't so stupid to believe in everything which madwomen told me. I knew some. I lived with one,… never mind. I started to explain to myself what I didn't understand and Mary Sue gave me a prepared answers. It didn't matter it was impossible, irrational. _

_I didn't know how many of what I felt, saw (or rather if any of it, I should say) was real. Maybe It was just a creation of my lost mind. But I was pretty sure something happened there, in forest. Voices I heard – incoherent fragments of someone's thoughts. They switched on my defence mechanism. I __stood on my guard, to look out.__ I was ready to attack. But attack what? I clearly felt someone's presence. It was bad or I had panicked and thought I was in danger. It could be just a Bambi deer or fox, more scared than me. _

_Something was changing in me. I was transitioning into something I didn't know it exist and into something I didn't want to be. No one had to tell me it was something wrong with me. I saw it into my mother's helpless look and when I looked into that Mexican doctor's gaze. Both of them were looking at me like the__y knew it could happen, but they were truly hopping they could avoid this._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

Click of someone's spike heels was reechoing around Elm Street's cobblestone sidewalk. She was strolling down the street, which was completely deserted. When she walked into a gleam her stilettos seemed to be olive, but color was smearing because of fog and perfectly matched the leader coat.

Coat protected her against cold. Girl was hiding her naked arms and back, because she put green low-cut dress on. Her walk was nervous, fast and it seemed that she was in a hurry. She wanted to leave this dangerous and unfriendly fragment of the road as soon as possible. She didn't see the twin Victorian houses anymore, but abandoned forest. It scared her. It was the second reason why she decided to quicken her pace.

„Go to hell, Jeffrey, she whispered rapidly. „I shouldn't agree to go on date with you this night", she told to herself.

Crack!

Suddenly she heard something. She stopped and turned around. Her bright, curly hair fell on both sides her shoulders and neck. She looked around, trying to see something in the darkness. When she didn't see anything, she looked ahead again and someone attacked her then.

She couldn't scream. She felt masculine hands on her lips. He wanted her to be quiet. He dragged her small body along into the deep forest. She mumbled silently but he was deaf to her entreaties. She was struggling but he was to strong.

He didn`t let her go. Her cheeks was salty of tears. Attacker was grasping her around waist. He didn`t say a word. She was wearing high heels so girl was tripping over the big roots. They stopped. When his grip became slighter, she bit him.

Scream reverberated through the area.

"Did you hear that?", Amanda asked, but boy, who was with her nodded negatively.

"AUUuu!", someone shouted with pain, harshly a while before scream was delivered by the echo.

Attacked girl, who had free mouth was screaming like hell. She stopped suddenly, when she recognized boy's voice. Boys was trying not to burn into tears. He's looking at his hand. Girl left him a bite and imprinted her teeth. Somewhere teeth cut through skin and wound was bleeding.

She even didn`t know why she didn`t run. She couldn't move. She just looked at this man who attacked her, standing in the dark. He had hood on his head.

"Jeff…", she whispered shyly. "That's you?". Her eyes were wet of tears. She had mascara from _Max Factor_ on the cheeks. It took her a hour to do this perfect make-up.

She was really mad.

"What did you expect? UFO?", he asked madly. „Of course it's me".

" You fool, you scared me!" , she pushed him away. She couldn't stopped herself. "I really thought that someone attacked me!", she said.

"I wanted it to look real", he said, hopping she understand. He had good intentions.

"What did you said?", she asked. "Asshole!", she cried.

It was too much to her. She turned around and started walking. She was stamping. Lilly didn`t looked back to check if he was going with her.

"Calm down, Lilly! It was a joke!". He ran, trying to catch her round the corner.

They didn`t noticed that someone appeared in the dark. No one could see his face. He was hided in the shadows. He just lost his beautiful snack. That girl looked so delicious.

Blonde girls was always delicious, he told to himself. But so naïve. Nothing could compared with ginger girls. They had a fire. Those tasted the best. They liked also dark ones. But he chose them because of different reasons.

Unpleased he decided to find next victim. This time nobody interrupted him in a dinner. He was hungry.

Meanwhile a few crosses the streets to the east, a quiet Nellsville so far in Illinois was attacked by supernatural creatures. Streets turned into a huge set designs from best Hollywood's horrors.

It was one of those days in Nellsville when something was happening and it wasn't bored. Mayor Spencer surprised everyone and prepared a lot of attractions this year. Decorations at school gym and main street were really creepy and could satisfied citizens. Mayor wanted this Halloween to be special. Probably Mr. Spencer thought it help him to gain trust (and votes) all citizens in campaign next spring.

But who have made the best pumpkin? Mr. Baker, local druggies of course like always do. He loved Halloween. This old man gave the best candies to all kids. He wasn't married, didn`t have his own kids. If someone didn`t know Mr. Baker very well, it could think he was pedophile. Nothing like that. He just loved kids.

Main Street was filled up with ghosts, who were haunting the kids, ugly faced phantoms without eyeball, demons, who were chasing innocent teen girls. You had a chance to meet zombies and the dead bodies, vampires, who face's dripped by blood, devils, witches and wizards, who were practicing witchcraft and other rites and trying to celebratetheirSabbath. You could look around and see jack-o'-lanterns on the porches.

Halloween always was just a fun. This day may be a shorter form of All Hallow's Eve and equivalent of polish All Souls Day – polish tradition of lighting candles and visiting the graves of the relatives. The tradition of lighting candles comes from ancient Slavic Dziady Feast. At the Halloween casting a spell on somebody was allowed.

Halloween descended from a Celtic festival of Samhain. Celtic believed that in Day of Samhain faded away a border between Underworld and Earth, so ghost, which good or bad ones can penetrate the way much easier. This Line were becoming weaker, made powers of evil stronger. They started to activate.

"I love Halloween", said vampire girl with admiration, "It's the only day, when it's so gloooomy", she drawled last word more funnily than seductively.

All of a sudden one of the ghosts ran out a corner, then ran up to vampire girl and zombie, who were walking slowly down the street. The ghost was caring a bag and fake blood. Bag was thrown over his shoulder. When ghost was trying to spill fake blood on vampire girl, then zombie raised his hands into the air and made a look, like he was going to say…

Wouuu!

Ghost dressed like Casper from popular carton for kids was speechless. His eyes became big and scared. He turned away and started running. He dropped his bag with candies. Kid looked frightened.

"Hey, body! You've lost your candies" called zombie boy. He has a typical American accent for people, who live in America a whole life. He bended down and dropped the bag, but a few candies fell out. He supposed to give it back to the kid, but he disappeared.

"You scared him!", vampire girl rebuked zombie boy. Her accent was alike, but rather studied and not quite natural.

"I know this kid. He's Mrs. Mason's son. We gotta give it back to him", she noticed, during she was looking at the candies. There was her favorite: with chocolate, _Baby Bears, _sweet fruit drops, jawbreakers, Czech's lentilky or _Chocolate Beans_ and more popular M&M's.

_No, Amanda, you're not going to it them all. Just remember, what this hot guy, doctor William__s, said: _"Mendy, you've got an amazing smile. Hollywood stars will be jealous", _Don't screw it up_.

_But they look so yummy…_

_Ok, you can help yourself, please. Just one. _

She fight with herself until she finally drew out one candy with chocolate. She quickly unwrapped paper and ate it, so zombie boy didn't get chance to see something.

"I'll do it later, boy promised when he's looking at the girl. She gave him a nod approval. She smiled lovely, when she was secretly chewing the candy. She slipped in her hand in zombie's hand. She didn't like to brag of her relationship and she completely didn't understand girls from her class, who were grabbing their boyfriend's hands because other girl turned up. Although, she caught askipper of school basketball team, her position in high school's society didn't grow a lot.

Both of them kept walking down the sidewalk. They're passing their neighbors houses and group of running kids.

"His the fourth of kids, who wanted to pour the fake blood over yourself", noticed Ray disguised as zombie boy.

"You don't have to defend me from everyobe, who wanted to spill the fake blood on me", she said. "Clearly my masking is not convincing", she heave a sigh.

She's wearing nineteenth-century, black and white dress with a train, her make-up was strong. She had straight long her and fake vampire teeth. Blood was dribbling down her face from corner of her lips. It was fake as well.

"Are you kidding? I guess, you didn't notice Mrs. Wilson's face, when she saw you, and grumpy old witch, Mrs. Young… ", who, irony, wasn't too young and her last name (what made things worse), didn't understand student's mathematical ignorance. She was the double rain of her husband, historian. They was a perfect couple – pair of malcontents and old drones. It was sure that Mr. Young turned grey that quickly and was always dissatisfied. No one could stand Mrs. Young. Amanda though that she's happy she leave school.

"Isn't surprise you they reacted like that?", she asked unexpectedly. She remembered the faces of teaching staff from her former school, when they came in. They looked like they're gazing at go-go girl.

"Maybe it's because of your make up?", Ray asked artificially, using his baritone. He couldn't hide a grimace on his face, what was evidence of that he didn't like his girlfriend looked like Emo girl. He always did prefer natural girls and Amanda always seemed to be for him like that.

Amanda had this natural beauty of girl who come from East Europe. She didn`t suit to models from _Vogue_, _Vanity Fair, In Style _or _Playboy. _She didn`t aspire to be the most beautiful girl in school. She knew that boys could like her, but she has never used it. She didn`t overuse make-up, thinking that for next 50 years her face wouldn't be able to exploitation. Her big, brown-green eyes emphasized by mascara, on her cheeks put day cream and a bit of face powder. She has never complained on teen acne. Her cheeks was like rose-leaf, smooth like silk. She tolerated just natural suntan so now, in the middle of fall her skin had alabaster color. She was deathlike-pale. Her lips was large and ideal. Amanda's lips was filled and perfectly rosy so she put only colorless lip gloss. Sometimes she put lipstick to made her lips red or red-browned which suited to her natural, curly dark hair. Her body was slim and athletic. She couldn't be a model only because she was too short and had bigger bra than ordinary model.

"No, it's not that, she mused, squinting her eyes. She was searching for logical explanation why everyone wanted to forget about vampires.

She remembered that history lesson when Mr. Young talked about war between vampires and humans which spread the whole world. It was _War of Blood._ On the one side mortals, the another immortals vampires. Humans won, which took a total extermination of vampire's species, that immortal kinds which has been leaving for thousand years, just from the beginning of time. Since then vampires had removed from books. Old books are in basements, hidden in archives. They tried to forget that vampires had ever existed. The only thing which left after vampires is the only one biology lesson, when students compare human blood with animal blood, also vampires. Any of those new books don't say a word why human hates vampires so much if long time before Amanda's birth vampires and humans got on well after soon they had uncovered their existence.

"Have you ever thought why vampire topic is taboo?", she asked suddenly.

"You start again?", he sighed loudly. "No… and you know what? I don't even care. Vampires are done. Closed historical chapter. Let's them rest in peace, wherever they are now", he added with hesitating.

"I just want to find out the truth. Don't you believe in what they write in the books or say on TV, do you?", she squinted her eyes, trying to interest him this.

_Why does she want to know it so badly?_, he thought. She never liked vampires. She secretly read some of old mother's books about vampires but she didn`t like them. As opposite to his mother she didn`t think about _Edward Cullen_. Eventually she could accept complicated but real _Damon Salvatore_.

"But what about Young said? Do you remember that he told only few things about it and let us go home? He's a total freak if it comes to history, especially local! Those boring lessons took an hours…" , she was like a detective which was on the right track.

Ray was tired of this.

"Can we stop talking about it, please? I'll escort you home. You drank to much punch and you don't know what you're talking about. Tomorrow you'll get up with hangover".

_I'm drunk? Darling, __I need a lot more than six pack and vodka with wine to get drunk. I'm Slavic, don't you remember? _

Ray was right. She was drunk. At least she explained it that way. Suddenly she felt so… relaxed. And it was good.

"I.. don't …drink …alcohol.", she reminded him with big smile. "I'm sportsman." No, but you're changing subject. Don't you change subject! You're always avoiding hard sub…

Then she looked up on Ray's face and she will fell over if Ray don't catch her. He was holding her elbow.

She burst out laughing. It was loud, uncontrolled laugh. She couldn't stop herself. It was so funny for her. Ray had nothing to laugh.

"Not at all, but it's Halloween! Must we talk about armed conflicts? Seriously?"

"You're right. We can talk about the party. What do you think about Ashley Knox's new boyfriend? I know from Natalie Bauman which knows from Holly Steward that he's studding on Northwestern University, but he seemed completely cranky for my taste…"

"You're not _Gossip Girl_, Mendy! You're not interested in social life. Even at lunch in high school you was curious about it if you or me were involved. And you did this to tell the truth."

She didn`t fool him. Ray knew her well and felt this subtle difference between _ironical Amanda_ and _serious Amanda_.

"Ok, I'm done', she admitted. " So what we gonna do? It's so early… I know! Let's go somewhere, have fun! The last party sucks, I didn`t have good time, so I have better idea! Let's go to woods!", she whispered. "Maybe this time we'll do a great entrance too!"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember when Lincoln's high seniors organized _Do you afraid of darkness*_ in _Dumb Forrest_?".

Dumb Forrest is a part of the wood, on the east side of Nellsville. Peoples say that it's dammed place, because after the tragical fire nothing was growing up there.

"Yes, I do. Party with illegal alcohol, drugs and… You don't wanna know happened. Some girls regretted it."

"Awesome! Let's go!", she pulled of his sleeve, but he didn`t move. She looked at him.

Ray was confused. He had no idea what happened to her. She likes parties… from time to time, but she came back home at ten, didn`t drink alcohol, smoke, do drugs. She didn`t think of coming to the party organized by jerks, local asses and easy girls. She wasn't like that. Amanda was self-respecting young lady.

"What?", she asked, surprising.

"Are you kidding me, right?"

"No, why? I'm serious".

"No, it's not Amanda I know. It will be better if we go home and i`ll give it back Ms. Mason btw.

"What does it mean _Amanda I know_? Cos I wanna go to the party?", she didn`t understand. Noting was going on.

"No, cos… whatever", he cut short. "Dumb Forest is not the best place, Mendy. Trust me", he added.

"Why, is it something wrong with it"?, she made eyes. She wanted an answer.

Ray wasn't the first one who told her that. First time she heard it from local old woman merely two weeks after her arrive to Nellville. She didn`t care actually. People warned her she was talking many things. But then Mr. Baker told her exactly the same she was intrigued. She asked him about _Dumb Forest`s_ secret but nobody was willing to tell her. It was conspiracy of silence. Maybe she was to new to be trusted.

"Just a rumors, small town's talking.", he didn`t want her to think he's superstitious.

"But you still believe in it, don't you?

He didn`t answer so, she tried to get it off from Ray.

"Tell me. What's wrong with this forest?", she heard his deep breath.

"It's hunted."

She couldn't not laughing.

"What?"

"Really. Some people heard a strange voices…"

"Did they see ghosts too?"

"Me too.", he added so Amanda stopped talking with "oops". Her face changed.

Ray was disappointed she made fun of him.

"Maybe it seemed to you that…"

"No, I know what I heard. I wasn't alone. I was with friends."

"You… you were sober then?"

"Damn it, … how do you think?" , he snapped. He was angry when someone was trying to talk him a lie. He never lies. Honor was a truthfulness to him. And he never says like that beside Mendy. But when she heard "damn it", it means he was really angry.

"I'm sorry. I didn`t mean to." , she said and looked down. She was ashamed.

"It's fine." It means "Apology accepted, forget it".

"What else are they talking?", she was curious.

"Something like: girls disappears without trace, sometimes police finds theirs bodies."

OMG, she thought.

"Is… it often? I live here a while and I've never heard about it.

"Too often for one town. People still remember. They remember where it came from."

"Is it about vampires, war, Soldiers of Coalition?

"No, it's not about vampires, nothing of this kind. It happened a log time before the war and it's connected with Girards family.

Interested Amanda squinted. She didn't interrupt. She decided to wait until he finish. She was looking at him, waiting. However he was silent. He was trying to put in order a whole story before he start to tell, because she didn't want to omit anything. Ray was staring at Amanda in his empty look and it looked like he is able to see the pictures from the past in his mid's eye. He was in some kind of trans. She had the impression he looked at something hundreds kilometers away from her. Besides a costume he's wearing and fact that it was Halloween intensified an atmosphere of danger, so the sound sent a chill down her spine. She felt a piercing coldness. She was sure this story

Ray suddently started talking.

"They originally came from France and were the one of the first settlers here from Europe. The colonists just have been setting up our town on ruins old Indian settlement."

"What did happen with them?", she asked uncertainly Amanda, swallowing a saliva.

"Not with them, with her. Five-years-old daughter Girard's daughter died… She perished in a fire", she added with sympathy.

"Scary", she admitted. She couldn't stand the stories, where innocent children took part in it.

"The legend says that old Girard offended at God, put a course on this place to relieve his pain. He wanted this place, where burned his daughter was hated by everybody. He wanted people to remember his tragedy and be afraid of this place. Since then the dearest daughters of his fathers have been missing without trace. Sometimes people hear how they're calling his fathers, bagging for help…"

"Do you know where this house is?"

"Yes, but…", she interrupted him.

"Fine! All the more I wanna go there. I must see it!", she grinned at Ray, on of her sweet smile, after all boys are melting.

"It's just a legend, Amanda. It supposed to scary you in the way that you'll always avoid this place. Instead of you're gonna get in lion cave", he stopped for one second, thinking if even this words are able to convince his girlfriend to change her mind. "I r e a l l y heard voices there! Voices too scary to want to hear them. I haven't slept after all for couple days. If is there something it's notching good. I don't wanted to know what is hiding in this forest, better leave it alone. Vampires made a mistake they disclosed their secret. It ended reeeealyyy badly. That's why I'm begging you, don't go alone there, especially at night! Be responsible, Mendy...", he asked so badly, fearing Amanda some day could go there when something bad happen and he won't be able to help her… he couldn't even thing about it.

Amanda didn't have to be responsible at all. Ray was her common sense. She was a pedestrian, he a traffic light. He was always warning her against danger, but she was always not listening his good advices, when she lose her self-preservation instinct. Because of that she was always getting herself in trouble. She was too brave. Tell the truth her bravery had nothing to do with her voices of reason. She often behaved spontaneously, recklessly, because of that she was invasive curiosity.

"Ok. If you`re scared, I'll go alone."

He couldn't let her do it. Firstable he rather keep an eye on her, secondable he promised he will never show he is afraid of something.

*It's a horror/fantasy series where kids every week, at a secret location in the woods, were sitting by the camp fire and telling a scary story to the group.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 2**

Dry, autumn leaves rustled under their shoes when they were walking through a forest undergrowth in the middle of the night. It was so dark that they almost did not see each other. With such poor visibility they barely distinguished the contours of the trees, but they did not have flashlight to light up a way in the darkness. They did not expected they will need one. A thick fog settled low above a ground which was rising as if it was levitating. Amanda felt dewdrops on her foots. It was getting colder and the wind swaying a branches increased the feeling of a coldness.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?", she asked, lifting her leg above.

Walking in the woods in a long dress was not the best idea. She will have to return it to the laundry in the near future.

"Yes. For sure,", Ray replied short.

They keep going till they got to a place where a music from near party reached their ears. Someone really took care about a sound system. Amanda felt as if she was standing by a big loud-speaker at a rock concert but they have not reached Dumb Forest yet, because it left them 300 meters. She even wanted to ask Ray if he feels that beating of the stomach too, but she thought it's too silly question even for her.

"We're closed. Must be a lot of people there", she asserted confidently, what attracted a boy.

"How do you know? We're not in Dumb Forest yet.

"Philip Dowston, our baseball team captain will be there, don't you remember?", Ray just sighed deeply.

It's a well-know fact not since today that he was a boss on sports field. A game his basketball team to Philip Dowston`s baseball team was like Paralympics Games to real Olympia. Ray always envies him great team. Less popularity and a way he treats a obsessed with him girls. Philip made a team a pride of Abraham Lincoln High School in Nellsville.

"Better hurry up", he changed the subject quickly, did not want to listen next sensations of "King Dowston".

He led the way and left the girl behind. His behavior was an evidence of how much jealous he was of the fact that Amanda talked about all just not about him. Amanda, did not want to show she could not keep pace with his fast tempo, she almost started running ahead.

Suddenly she felt like she was here all alone. She could not see Ray was anywhere. Mendy was already shouting to him to wait, when her attention turned bright glow in the sky. She stopped, leaning against the tree bark. She was staring at the full moon, which illuminated like a lighthouse a place where she stood. A sharp, blinding column of light struck at her, dilated her pupils. Protecting the eyes from its intensity she wrinkled her brows. and narrowed her eyes. She felt like her eyes started to pinch, as if someone had poured sand into her eyes. She blinked a few times, but there were no tears, which would help her get rid of this unbearable feeling. Tweaking not fainted, her eyes ached terribly. Burned from the inside.

She had no idea why. Her eyes has been being sensitive to sunlight since forever, in summer she always had to wear sunglasses to avoid the burns. Her soft skin reacted alike, was very sensitive to UV rays, from this it follows that Amanda has never be able to sunbath too long, unless she didn't want to turn crimson. However there was no sun now. It was a middle of the night, she's standing in the Moonlight and there was nothing what would burn her eyes. She closed her eyes with a quiet groan and when she re-opened it the burning subsided. But still she felt as if something fell into her eyes, stuck in them deeply. She lost a sharpness of vision a bit. She felt as if she's looking thought a mist.

She's looking around, trying to watch out for Ray, but inefficiently. She sighed softly. She went in direction of she suppose to see the boy. She didn't want to admit she could get lost in the middle of nowhere. Here, in a place where no one has never supposed to see her.

She felt stranger in every next minute she could not find Ray. It wasn't just a fear. It was something she hasn't known before. Something what's surfacing from inside of her. She almost could feel it in each senses. She had a feeling she's getting heavier and heavier. Little by little her legs refuse to obey but she forced herself to keep doing. She had to find Ray.

_Definitely too much punch_, her mind advised.

She felt… sick? No, she felt faint. Yes, she was getting weaker. All of a sudden she heard nor saw nothing. Somewhere at the back she heard a nervous call. She strained to hear. Did she hear her name?

"MENDY!", someone cried, the voice rumbled in her head.

She was right.

_ Ooo, my dear Ray. He found me. I'm here. I'm coming to you._

"Amanda!", she heard again.

She took a one more step forward and then she stopped. Everything went black in one second. She rolled eyes and felt as tumbling over in a depths…

Suddenly stopped by something heavy and hard. She fell into straight Ray's arms. Fortunately she didn't knock out his teeth. He caught her almost immediately. He gripped her, did not let her fall. She put her head on his shoulder automatically, closing her eyes.

"Mendy? Everything okay? Mendy!", Ray's looking at Mendy in his frightened child's eyes.

He looked even younger then. He had a feeling of guilt that he was irresponsible, loosing the drunk girl in the middle of the night, in a dark forest. But he sure he has been loosing sight of Amanda literally for less than a split second…

Amanda regained consciousness slowly. She opened her eyes.

"I'm fine…", she whispered noiselessly.

"I've seen it already. You've just passed out! Can you stand up? I'll help you stand up", he said with emotion.

He lifted up a little apathetic body of her, holding protectively in case of she would feel worse again.

"I can stand up without help", she pulled out, but when she was trying to take a step single-handedly, her knees became soft. Luckily Ray stood right beside her.

Her hair spilled over his naked shoulder, protruding from a rugged zombie's costume and his neck. She felt an intensive aroma. Pleasant. She moved a wing of the nose gently, breathing in it. She brought closer to boy's neck, savoring this new smell. He smelled sweet…tasty.

_Mmm… A new perfume? _

Suddenly she felt… lust. She would love to crunch him here and now. She craved for being with someone…closely. Why haven't she seen before how much she likes Ray? Why did she delay so long? A Virginity is _passé _nowadays. She feel like painting the town red.

_Yes, Let's do it…_

She started tickling his neck, using her tongue.

"You're pretty smashed", he whispered, making no secret of his smile and then he helped Mendy to stand on her own feet.

He pulled Amanda away from his neck with difficulty and put her in front of his face, brushing aside an unruly strand of hair.

"We're going back home. Could you walk alone?, he asked with care and didn't let go of her if she would feel dizzy again.

Amanda raised her eyes only and ogled at Ray.

"Kiss me", she whispered in seductive voice.

"What?"

"Kiss me, please", she repeated emphatically.

Probably he would pay no heed to this request and take her home as soon as possible, if she wasn't look at him this way, if she wasn't…

She kissed her quickly and unexpectedly. He grazed her lips slightly, so she felt almost nothing.

"Are you pleased? Ok, so we can go now", he said confused and pulled at her hand, but neither move even for a centimeter. Surprised, he turned his head towards her.

"No. Not like your… sister", she could not find a better term.

She needed something more to satisfy a hunger.

The boy, who was still standing where he stood at a total standstill even didn`t noticed she released her hand and stood face to face with him.

"Kiss me, Ray. I want a real kiss.", she said loudly and longingly and she tilted her head back.

She was looking directly in his eyes, so deep as late as he blushed. There was something behind her eyes which was telling him to let her win. The boy was fighting with this feeling which was arousing in him that newborn _coquette_, but every man in his place will do the same. It is so rude to turn down a woman…

This time she kissed her longer and passionately. She did not remember when they've lost themselves in kisses lately. She felt that she was burning inside by living fire. She could burn down like a phoenix and bring back to life from ashes to feel again this heat inside her, that erupting with a hot lava volcano of passion.

He tore off her lips too fast and violently, she thought. Both were red and breathing fast. Amanda opened her eyes, still too trembling and languorous to focus on something else. Her orbit were Ray's hazel eyes. She didn`t realized that her boyfriend could kiss like that.

But Ray was looking at her in fear. He released her from his grip and took a step backwards. He shouldn't lose his control, let himself on that recklessness. Amanda asked him many times for stupid things (it's belonged to one of them), but he was mature enough to say no. The girl was drunk, she probably won't remember anything tomorrow. He didn`t belong to egoists, which took a occasion. He has always been responsible. Just because of that responsibility Amanda's mother let them hanging out, didn`t turn him out, like the other girl's worshipers. Irena's behavior has been always seemed insane to him, so he did not want to risk. Who knows what she will think up. He didn`t want to expose Amanda. Since they've gotten together he promised himself we will keep an eye on her and won't let anything happen to her. He decided as Amanda will get into college he will take her from her mother and they will live together.

She has watched Ray for a long time in narrowed eyes, did not understand anything. She blinked in a reflection. Boy's reaction surprised her.

"I'm sorry", he whispered finally. "It will be better if we go now".

"Why? Did I something wrong?", she asked almost crying. Next time she will do her best and he will be pleased.

He looked at her, tilted his head.

"You? No!", he negated.

"So why you don't…", he couldn't believe she was asking about it. Further he did not believe that she could think of IT, in a forest, in the middle of the night. Amanda was not any girl. He loved and respected her.

"Mendy, stop! Let's go back, because your mother will throw me into a cauldron at the nearest witches' sabbath….", he bit his tongue, did not finish. He said enough.

He smiled and held Amanda's hand, but she pull out as if she burned herself.

"Mendy, what is it?", he asked, scared by her behavior. She stood motionless like a dummy, looking at him in penetrating glance, which sentshivers down his back. Ray almost saw the flash of rage in her eyes, even though they both stood in the middle of a dark forest. She clenched her hands into fists tightly untill they turned white. He has never seen her so upset.

"Ain't I being good enough?", she asked sharply, coldly in her varied voice.

She barely mastered an anger. She spoke loudly but she wasn't shouting. He tilted his head slightly to one side. Ray rebuked himself for this thought, but he had associated Amanda with the predator. He gulped nervously. He felt kind of strange tension in her. She did not behave normally. This mood swings did not fit her at all. Surprisingly Mendy seemed not to notice it. In best way a word "humiliation" showed what she felt now. Ray turned her down. Once again. He denied to give her a real kiss at the first place, and now he gave her a sufficient signal that she's not appropriate enough to be able to cross with him the barrier of intimacy. She couldn't stop thinking about it. A wave of passion suddenly turned into a unbridled fury. She was furious, feeling as if every muscle in her body is straining. She tightened Her teeth, trying to normalize a rapid breathing, but it was ineffective. Her heart was pounding like crazy and the blood boiled in her. Ray did not understand this sudden surge of adrenaline which had shook her body. All the senses ordered him to run as if he stood here face to face with a wolf. An anxiety. He had no idea from where a fear had came from him . She's Mendy, Mendy who refused to experiment on frogs at biology classes. So why he felt as if he was in a danger?

"You're not yourself", he replied firmly.

That was too much for Amanda. Not only because he suggested that she was not good for him. Then he dared to make her believe that she insane like her mother.

In the twinkling of an eye she found herself next to Ray. The boy did not understand how she could reach him so quickly. Looked him in the neck felt her slender fingers. She grabbed him by the throat in a frenzy. She was completely absent. Before he could look around, he had felt her slender fingers on his neck. He grabbed him by the throat in a frenzy. She was completely absent.

"Mendy, what the hell ...? Are you nuts?", he wanted to let go of her hands without doing harm to her, but she clenched her embrace.

He did not expect she as such a weakling could be very strong.

"Let me go!", he shouted and the girl left her lethargy.

First, she looked at the boy's eyes, saying nothing, then on the lips, then focused attention on the neck, loosing a grab. She looked at it for a moment, being fascinated and she stroked gently a soft skin with her fingertips.

Ray calmed down a bit, he embraced her waist, holding the other one, in case if she would loose her control again. Then he would have a better field to overpower her easily. Nothing like this happened. Amanda smiled at him and approached her lips, intending to kiss him. She touched his lips slightly, inviting once again, clearly sensing a opposition and resistance to do it in the form of almost silent whisper:

"Mendy, no!", the whisper boomed in her head.

She felt anger again.

Amanda pushed the boy away, using all her strength. Ray fell down on his back. He felt a pain in the shoulder, realizing that he has just flown backwards. He turned his head sideways slightly and saw a stump, protruding from the ground a few centimeters from his head. Amanda looked at it with disbelief. If he fell down a few centimeters closer to he wouldgave his head an awful smash on the cut tree trunk and with a little luck instead of a hole in the occiput, he would have only a concussion, a couple stitches and a real costume stained with blood.

When Amanda awoke and saw the frightened Ray, lying in front of her, two centimeters from the trunk, in which he could strike she panicked. Quickly she crouched before him, choking with tears. She did not care that her dress will be dirty.

"God, Ray! I'm sorry! Are you ok?", she cried, leaning over him, but when she wanted to touch his cheek, he turned his head.

He stood on his own, without looking at her and massaged the shoulder. Paralyzed, that he is afraid of her, she felt like salty tear was running down her cheek. She could not move. Before her eyes she still had a picture of the boy, looking at her as a monster… She will never forget.

"Mendy, it's ok. I'm all right.", she felt Ray's hand on her shoulder.

She turned her head toward him, looking at him at an uncertain glance. He helped her stand up. On his face showed the kind of pain, understanding and forgiveness.

"It's okay", he replied, wiping her cheek with tears. He could not remain indifferent to her tears.

"Forget about it, okay? Just promise me that next time you won't drink anything", she nodded and sighed.

"I lost my desire for a party." - she said in a tired voice.

"Before we get back ... tell me what happened next to Girard?", he was surprised why she so much interested in her story, but he guessed that it was only a cover to clean the atmosphere and she was looking for an excuse to forget about the incident from a few minutes.

"Not here ... ", she said, when he opened his mouth to begin the story.

He took a deep breath, resigned. In response Amanda sent him an innocent smile.

"Girard never come to terms with the loss of her daughter, until finally he fell into madness and the maid found his body with his throat cut. Nobody was able to explain how he could commit suicide in this way".

Amanda blinked.

They were just standing in a place where years ago stood Girard's house. It resembled a wilderness. In a place resembling a large rectangular grass was dry, yellow, and after the tall, covered with green leaves around the rectangle trees were just dead, naked branches, protruding from the earth, like stalagmites in a cave.

"Cut his throat? Alone?"

"He was crazy. He had a screw loose", the boy shrugged.

"He killed those girls. In revenge", she said shakily and swallowed.

"Did you notice how quiet is here?", she asked for something completely different.

"Forest here is so ..."

"Dead?"

"Mhm ..." she murmured with a sigh.

Now, standing in this place the forest seemed to her to be more sinister than this one of Ray's stories. The girl was shocked.

Her reverie broke strange rustling.

"Did you hear that?"

"What?"

She strained his ears. Somewhere a quiet whisper was rising into the air, carrying by northerly wind in their direction. Conglomeration of several syllables without meaning, of which she could not catch anything. She decided to focus more. She closed her eyes and tried to telepathically get closer in the direction of the voice she heard. She did not know what miracle she came up with this idea. She did not understand that. It came out spontaneously, directly from her interior. Instinct told her what to do. She caught the sound of a particular noise, ignoring the rest and like Ariadne, daughter of King Kretypo she walked in the designated direction from the thread to the ball of thread. She almost heard clearly. Subsequent letters revealed how a bad game show.

Aaaa ... mmm ... aaa ... ddd ...

"Just a little! Mendy focus", she cheered in thoughts. She distinguished the first syllable _A _and then another _MAN_ and the last _DA_. Finally, the whole extended

sound she glued together and opened her eyes with horror. Her ears clearly heard...

"Amanda...", repeated over and over.

She moaned softly and looked at Ray. The words stuck in her throat.

"Did you hear that?", she asked in a low voice, scared that someone could her them.

"Yes. Run!", he shouted and kidnapping the girl by the hand, began to run. With a soul on the arm they were running through the woods not even wanting to think about what it was. They knew only that it is better to stay out of it. Breathed a sigh of relief when they found themselves among their peers. The party was slowly coming to an end. Among the partygoers they recognized several colleagues. They waved to Amanda.

At this point, they bumped into Ray's pal from the old school.

"Hey man, what's up?", he was drunk.

He barely kept his feet and he was holding in the hand a bottle of beer.

Ray snatched a bottle from him and threw it. Amanda did not commented. He had the right to have an aversion to alcohol today. She herself had wanted to pour out the entire supply of beer to the toilet, which only she will be succeed in take away from the store.

"Hey, what are you doing?", Josh asked, surprised.

"You already have enough, buddy", Ray patted the boy on the shoulder and passed the boy's, leading Amanda by the hand. Girl obediently followed Ray trampled like duck. Jose just shrugged his shoulders, and after a while going forward, they heard behind theirs back:

"Does anyone have a brewery?"

They breathed a sigh of relief when they were on Elm Street. Then they could take a short rest after jogging.


End file.
